Insect swatter



F. S. RIMER INsEcT swATTER May H, i948.

Filed Feb. 2, 1944 /A MM \NVENT0R IMER B Y l' ATTORNEY a handle 2.

any desired manner Patented May 1I, 1948 UNITED iNsEoT sWA'r'rEn .-Foister animer, Riehl-analyte.

ApplicationFebruary 2, 1944, 'Serial No. 520,127 1e Claims. (o1.y i3- 131) i JMyinvention relates-to' an insect swatter commonly known as va household fly'swatter.

fOne of the objects of my invention is to produce an improved ,insect swatterwhich is so constructed that the striking blade'may bereadily removed when it becomes worn or unsanitary and replaced by a new blade, all Vwithout the use of anytools or appliable lfastening devices.

Another object o f lmy inventionis to soconstruct aninsect swatter handle and blade that the blade'will be held attached to thee-handle by 4the Vfunctioning of resilient means, which resilkin which'Figure 1 is a view `of an insect swatter embodying my invention; Fig. v2 is an en- "larged view showing thejmanner in which the "blade is attached and'removed;V Figure 3 is a view showing another vmanner of securing'the flaps together; Figure 14' is Aaview of a'portion of another swatter showing a different construction embodying my invention; and Figure is asectional view taken on the lines5-5 and showing certain details.

Referring first to Figures 1 'and 2, the insect swatter shown comprises astriking blade I and Theblade may be constructed in from suitable lmaterial such as wire, twisted Cellophane or fiber, rubber, and so forth. Preferably the bladeis'formed from a generally rectangular sheet `and two of the corners are folded over to form flaps 3 and 4 havying adjacent ends 5 and' 6. vThese adjacent ends are secured together by a connecting sheet 'l preferably of elastic material although itmay be of non-stretchable material if desired. The connecting sheet is secured to the marginalA portions of the .flaps as by sewing, as shown. By

connecting the edges 5 and 6 together the'flaps, with the body of theblade, form apocket of general triangular Vshape having a wide opening atthe topand a small opening at the bottom. Inorderthat the ,pocket opening at the top may be made somewhat narrower and 'abutment means provided at the opposite sides ofthe top of-the pocket, .the upper Vouter corners of the iiap are secured to thebody portion oi the blade as by staples .and

e 9,. 'By this arrangement it :is1seen'that it @member having a triangular outlinesfubstantially the same' asv theinsideof Ythe pocket, is positioned "in" saidV pocket, it will be -held therein by theabutment means as provided `by thestaplesl andi-9.

- be securelyattachedf'tofthefihandle '-.ytatheffblade may be easily and quickly attachedcor removed In attaching the blade-to thehandle,ftheshait:

portion of thefvhandleiismushed ethrough-f-.thef

pocket by inserting itffirst in1thezwideftopopening and then out througnthezsmallsbottomeopen ing. This willwthenbringuthe :lingers:spartia'illy into rthe pocket, freeifinsertiontbeingupreyented by their `engagen-ient with the lstaplesga' :andriSf since the top edge ofthe:triangularsendfformed. by the fingers inZtheinnOrmal,conditionjs-fof greater lengthvv thanf thel distance:between staples. t and 9. If the 'rlngers-are nowrsprungpinwardly toward eachother, 'the uppers-edgelengths-,oti the triangle will `-loe *decreased :suiiicientlyurthatnthef fingers can pass thefstaples.andflfullyrenter the: pocket. When the "ngersf.-now :spring back to their normal position, the inwardly extending portions of the ngers-lwill"becomefpstioned behind the staples and-theb ladefavilltbesecurely held on the handle. lnremoving thezbladewthe fingers are again sprung-inwardly toward 4`each; other and then-pushed out-oifthefltopfopeningtof' the pocket. 'Itis thus -seen+that the attach-v ing and detaching of the-blade-is-fasimpleand quick operation rand yno addingsA or rremevingfgof special securing means;A such as .l.staples,VA sewing, and so forth, need be made.

When vthe connectinga'sheetfs'l :is lof elastici-material the l top pocket opening .can-abe somewhat enlarged duringx'the vattaching-,andsdetachrigf operation. Th-is' facilitatesgettingetheiingers :into the pocket asthey needtnotlfbessprungxas. much as' wouldloeV the caseif theatop'.openingjgofgthe pocket could notbe enlarged#'byistretehing =;'.ihe

Y elastic material also. permits -sthe :gripping-p0runder pressure.

Wheii it is not desired or necessary to have the top or bottom openings of the pocket capable of enlargement by stretching, the connecting sheet 'I may be of non-stretchable material such as ordinary cloth or the like. Also, in place of a non-stretchable connecting sheet, the adjacent edges of flaps 3' and 4" may be connected by staples in a manner as shown in Figure 3 wherein staples I3 are employed.

In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown another construction permitting easy attaching and detaching of the blade. In this construction the blade I4 has its lower corners turned over to provide naps I5 and i6 which have their adjacent marginal portions secured together by staples I'I to' form a triangular pocket having a wide opening at the top and a small opening at the bottom. Secured in the pocket is a band I8 made of elastic 4 handle member arranged to be associated with the pocket for mounting the blade member on the handle member by passing the handle through both openings and the means on the end of the handle through the top opening only, said means including resilient means carried by one member and cooperating means on the other member so engageable by the resilient .means as to cause it to function to maintain the blade and handle attached, said blade member being capable of removal from the handle member by manually conditioning the resilient means so as to become disengaged from the cooperating Y means.

3. In an insect swatter, a striking blade having turned over corner portions secured together to provide a triangularly-shaped pocket having or resilient material such as stretchable'woven cloth, rubber, and so forth. The band is secured 'at one point to the aps by means of one of the staples I1 and to the body of the blade at an opposite point by a staple or staples I9.

`The handle is shown as made of two twisted 'wire strands and the .attaching end thereof is of va generally triangular shape being made by bendling extending ends 2| and` 22 of the strands to the desired shape. These ends, in addition to being bent to form the generally triangular attaching end for the handle, are so bent as to provide stirrups 2-3 and 24 near the upper corners of the triangular. end for receiving and holding the band I 8.

`To Yattach theblade to the handle, the handle is pushed through the band` and pocket to where 1 the triangular attaching end is received in the pocket. The band is now stretched so as to surround the attaching end and with opposed sides resting inthe stirrups 23 and 24. Since the band now rmly gripsthe triangular end of the handle which rests in thepocket and the blade is attached tov the band, it is seen that the blade will. be firmly attached Ato the handle. To re- .move the blade, the band is stretched suiciently v to permit it to be disengaged from the end of the .handle which is then pushed out of the pocket and the blade passed over the handle shaft.

I Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the particular structure herein described WithoutV departing from the fundamental principles of my invention, I do not intend that its scope Ybe limited except as set forth by the appended claims.

`Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new'anddesire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In. an insect swatter, a handle member, a

"striking, blade member having a pocket, and

- dlemember by Vmanually conditioning 'the resilient means so as to become disengaged from the cooperating means but only while the means on the end of the handle isin the pocket.

2.In an insect swatter, a handle member, a

`striking blade member having turned over corner portions secured together to provide a pocket having top and bottom openings the former oi which is larger, and means on the end of the two openings of different sizes, a handle provided with' a triangularly-shaped blade attaching end for reception in the pocket by passing the handle through both openings and the blade attaching end through the larger opening only, and means for holding said end in the pocket comprising resilient means manually conditionable to permit attaching of the blade to and removal from the handle end Without the use of tools or the addition or removal of securing means.

4. In 'an insect` swatter, a handle', a striking blade, and means for mounting the blade'on the handle comprising a resilient means carried solely by the blade and cooperating means carried by the handle and arranged to be so engaged by the resilient means as to hold the blade attached, said resilient means being manually conditionable so as to be 4free of the cooperating means to thereby permit removal of the blade from the handle.

5. In an insect swatter, a striking blade provided with a pocket, a handle,v resilient-means carried by the blade within the pocket, means on the handle for cooperation with the resilient means'to thereby hold the blade on the handle, said resilient means being manually conditionable so as to permit the blade to be attached to Vor removed from the handle at will without tools Vthe abutment means when positioned in the pocket bythe passing of the handle through both pocket openings and the displaced ngers through the inner opening only andthus hold Y the blade rmly secured to the handleyet permittingremoval of the fingers from the pocket ot the blade by displacing the ngers from a position free of the abutment means.

7. Infan insect swattena handle provided with resilientiingers on one end ofthe handle forming a general triangular construction and capable of being displaced toward each other, a striking blade having turned over corners secured together at adjacent edges to provide a triangularly-shaped vpocket having a top opening, and means for narrowing the top opening of the pocket and providing'closed parts at each side thereof;` s aid fingersbeing/received in the pocket and positioned behind the parts oi the pocket on each side of the top opening to thereby hold the blade on the handle but permitting attachment or removal of the blade When displayed suciently inwardly toward each other as to pass through the top opening.

-8. In an insect swatter, a handle, means providing an irregularly-shaped attaching end on said handle, a striking blade, and a resilient band carried by the blade and engageable with the irregularly-shaped attaching end for `iirmly securing the blade to the handle.

9. In an insect swatter, a striking blade having turned over corner portions secured together to provide a triangularly-shaped pocket, a handle provided with a triangularly-shaped blade attaching end for reception in the pocket, and means for holding said end in the pocket comprising a band secured to the inside of the pocket and means for holding the band on the attaching end.

10. In an insect swatter, a handle, means providing an irregularly-shaped attaching end on said handle, a striking blade, means forming a pocket in the striking blade, and a resilient band carried by the blade inside the pocket for iirmly gripping a portion of the attaching end and securing the blade to the attaching end of the handle when placed in the pocket.

11. In an insect swatter, a striking blade provided With turned over portions secured together to form a pocket, a band secured to the blade Within the pocket, a handle, and means on the end of the handle positionable in the pocket and cooperating with the band for holding the blade on the handle, said band and the means on the end of the handle being detachably associated with each other.

12. In an insect swatter, a striking blade having turned over corner portions, elastic means for securing the adjacent edges of the corner portions together to provide a pocket having a variable large opening at the top and a variable small opening at the bottom, a handle having an end part positionable in the pocket by inserting the handle through the pocket from the large to the small opening, and means for holding the end part in the pocket.

13. In an insect swatter, a striking blade having turned over corner portions, elastic means for securing the adjacent edges of the corner portions together to provide a pocket having a variable large opening at the top and a variable small opening at the bottom, a handle having an end part positiona-ble in the pocket by inserting the handle through the pocket from the large to the small opening, and means for holding the end part in the pocket, said last named means embodying resilient means capable of being manually conditioned to permit removal of the blade.

14. An insect swatter blade for ready attachment to and removal from a handle having resilient fingers, said blade comprising a flat member having turned over corner portions, means for securing adjacent edges of the turned over corner portions together to provide a triangular pocket open at the top, and means for securing a portion of the corner portions of the body to the body to reduce the top opening and provide inside shoulder means for engagement by a part of the resilient iingers when caused to be positioned in the pocket.

15. An insect swatter blade for ready attachment to and removal from a handle having an irregular-shaped attaching end, said blade comprising a at member, means forming a pocket at one end for receiving the attaching end of the handle, and resilient means secured to the inside of the pocket and arranged to receive and grip a portion of the attaching end of the handle When placed in the pocket.

16. An insect swatter blade for ready attachment to and removal from a handle having an irregular-shaped attaching end, said blade comprising a flat member having turned over corner portions, means for securing adjacent edges of the turned over corner portions together to provide a triangular pocket to receive the attaching end of the handle, and a resilient band secured inside the pocket and arranged to receive and grip the attaching end.

FOISTER S. RIMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gollan Sept. 1, 1936 

